Tele Columbus TV customer base continues to decline
September 3, 2026 18.58 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

German cable operator Tele Columbus continued to lose TV customers in the first half of 2026, although the pace of decline slowed in the second quarter.

The TV business remained affected by structural changes in the market, while a portfolio divestment also influenced reported customer numbers, according to the Berlin-based company.

As of 30 June 2026, Tele Columbus had around 934,000 cable TV RGUs, down from approximately 1.026 million at the end of 2025. This represents a decline of around 9% in six months. Premium TV RGUs fell from approximately 486,000 to around 435,000 over the same period, a decline of roughly 10.5%.

Compared with the second quarter of 2025, the decline was more pronounced. Cable TV RGUs fell from around 1.073 million to 934,000, a reduction of approximately 13%. Premium TV RGUs declined from around 495,000 to approximately 435,000, equivalent to a year-on-year decrease of around 12%.

Tele Columbus stressed the underlying development nevertheless showed signs of stabilisation. According to the company’s Q2 results presentation, organic TV RGUs declined by around 9,000 in the second quarter, excluding the impact of a 2,500-customer loss related to a 2025 sale to Vodafone. Tele Columbus described the development as broadly in line with current market trends.

The company also pointed to higher penetration of bundled products and lower TV churn as factors helping to stabilise both its TV access and premium TV businesses. The proportion of customers taking three-product bundles increased to 37% in Q2, up from 29% in the first quarter.

The contrasting development of TV and internet was particularly evident in the second quarter. Internet and telephony revenue increased by 2.6% year on year to €60.1 million, while the company added 8,000 internet RGUs on an underlying operational basis.

Overall, the group had 707,000 internet RGUs at the end of June. The reported decline from the end of 2025 was primarily attributable to the divestment of a non-strategic subsidiary, while the underlying customer base increased during the second quarter.

Tele Columbus reported first-half revenue of €209.2 million, down 0.6% year on year. Normalised EBITDA increased 1.8% to €86.4 million, while reported EBITDA rose 68.6% to €101.6 million, supported in part by a €19.8 million gain from the disposal of the non-strategic subsidiary.

“Our operational growth continued in the first half of 2026. The internet and telephony business is performing well, and our transformation and efficiency measures are improving profitability. At the same time, we are making targeted investments in fibre and network infrastructure, thereby laying the foundations for further growth,” said Christoph Lüthe, CEO of Tele Columbus.

The company maintained its full-year guidance, expecting revenue to decline by a low double-digit million-euro amount, primarily as a result of the divestment. It expects continued operational growth in internet and telephony, while TV remains the more challenging part of its consumer business.